Friendship is Magic
by PainInTheAsguardian
Summary: While King and Ban recover from their battles with the Commandments at Vaizel, Ban discovers that he has more friends than he thought, and learns about Diane's memories. Spoilers if you haven't been reading the manga.


_It had all started out so well. The Sins were back together at last, all seven of them. With Merlin back in her body, the seemingly limitless power of Escanor, and Captain Meliodas at the helm, what Commandment could stand in their way? They would save the kingdom for certain, and go down in legend. King could return triumphant to the Fairy King's Forest, and perhaps he could even convince Diane to join him. Everything would be perfect. They would be together, just like all those centuries ago.  
_

 _"Diane!"_  
 _"Huh? Little boy, are you lost?"_  
 _"Diane, it's me! King! No, Harlequin!"_

 _"Hey Diane," Meliodas appeared. "Come on, we've got to get going."_

 _She flashed him a wide smile. "Of course, Captain!"_

 _"Captain! Where are we going?" King was confused. "Oh, we'll go to get Diane's memories back, right?"_

 _"Who are you?" Meliodas glanced at him. "Anyway, we don't have time to chat. We've got demons to fight! Nishishi!" He ran off, and Diane raced after him._

 _"Wait!" King tried to follow, but he just couldn't keep up. No matter how fast he flew, they moved farther and farther ahead._

 _One by one the others passed him. Ban, Merlin, Escanor. They gave him blank stares. No one knew his name. Gowther was the last to drift by._

 _"You! This is all your fault!" King screamed._

 _"I do not know who you are, nor what I have done to anger you. Farewell."_

 _The Fairy King could only stare helplessly as the six forms disappeared into the darkness. He was alone. The shadows seemed to laugh at him. They looked almost solid, ten writhing shapes. With a wordless howl King launched himself forward, Chastiefol whistling through the darkness, split into scores of glistening daggers. To no avail. They could not pierce those dark shapes. Who had done this? Gowther, one of their own? The Demon Clan? Was it his own sin, for being so lazy?_

King awoke with a start, nearly rolling off pillow-Chastiefol. It took his foggy brain a moment to register that he was back in Liones Castle, holed up with the remaining Sins and Holy Knights after the battle in Vaizel. He'd been dreaming again. King took a deep breath, his heart still pounding against his ribs. He was shaking.

"Brother, are you alright?" Elaine's concerned face appeared in his hazy view, golden eyes creased in worry.

"Y-yeah," he mumbled faintly. "Bad dream, that's all. How's Ban?"

"Still asleep," she responded, glancing back toward the bed at the other end of the room.

King sat up, cradling his head. He'd awoken from one nightmare, only to find the other still unfolding. They'd lost. Captain was... defeated. Not dead. He couldn't be dead, not with Elizabeth's power. Right? King couldn't stop shivering. He still wasn't certain what to think of Meliodas, but seeing what that man, the one who called himself his brother, had done...

Then, there was Ban. King had been convinced that the immortal Fox Sin had finally met his end. There had been nothing left. Yet, as they were preparing to bring the Captain back to the castle, his body had reappeared on the battlefield where he'd fallen. He'd been a literal bloody mess, and unconscious, but somehow alive. King had never been so happy to see the idiot, even if he had been missing most of his skin. Even now, Ban was taking longer than usual to recover, but given the fact that he'd exploded, that hardly seemed strange.

King's honey-gold eyes traveled from the bed and its too-large occupant to the figure hovering above it. The one silver lining to this disaster was that Elaine was still alive. King had been terrified that he was going to lose her again once Ban killed that demon woman, but to everyone's surprise...nothing had happened. Merlin figured it had something to do with being a fairy, and the fact that her body wasn't corrupted and decayed like the humans who had been revived. What had she said? "Your body is whole and your soul intact. There's very little reason for you to suddenly drop dead again, really. It's fascinating!" Fascinating wasn't the word King would have chosen, but who was he to complain. His sister was really here.

That's what really mattered. Elaine and Diane were safe, and Ban was alive. King's fingers dug into the soft material of Chastiefol's surface. Faced with the realization that the remaining Commandments were now running rampant throughout Brittania, those seemed like small consolations. And yet, they were all he had. The past few days had been quiet, but for how long? He shivered again. They had no Captain and no plan.

"Ban!" Elaine's voice startled King out of his musings. "You're awake!" He looked up to see the two of them caught in a tender embrace, the immortal's long arms wrapped protectively around Elaine's slight frame. King's face grew warm. He wasn't worried about her getting close with Ban, not anymore. Any mistrust he'd ever felt toward the other Sin had vanished the day he'd arrived at Escanor's tavern and seen them together for himself. Still, she was his sister.

"Elaine...Yer still...yer here..." Ban's normally lyrical voice was rough, a quaver running through it.

King decided to give them their privacy. They deserved that much. He gathered Chastiefol and drifted quietly out of the room. Jericho was sitting in the hallway outside the door. She'd been hanging around a lot lately, and her concern for Ban and Elaine was obvious. She didn't seem like the bad sort at all, despite their initial meeting. It seemed so long ago. She'd proved herself to be a brave and loyal companion. The former Holy Knight appeared to be asleep, but her eyes flicked open as he approached.

"How is he?"

"Awake. Elaine's still there, I figure they'll want some time..."

She nodded. The two of them spent several minutes in silence. King could hear the sounds of construction outside the castle walls. All the available Knights were there, assisting with rebuilding the fortress. It probably wouldn't even give the Commandments pause, but what more could they do? No one among them was ready to simply give up and surrender. He hugged Chastiefol tighter. Did any of them really have a chance without the Captain? Even if he were still here... He pushed those thoughts away, turning to Jericho instead.

"How was training?"  
She scowled, clenching her fist. "I need more. I need to get stronger. Even if I don't have magic like the others, I can't just sit here and let everyone else fight."

"You've made it this far," King began, but a loud slam from Ban's room made them both jump. King rushed back inside, Jericho on his heels. They found Ban standing by the bed, his bloodied fist buried in the wall. Elaine hovered beside him, one had outstretched as if she had been about to try and stop him. " _Damn it_ ," he snarled, fangs bared.

"Ban, please. You can't do anything more until you're recovered." Elaine's voice was soft. "You need to rest. Even the Fountain's magic has trouble with Demon-inflicted wounds."  
"I know..." Ban's shoulders drooped, and he sank back down to the bed. "I know. But th' Captain...I..." He took a deep, shaky breath.

"You did everything in your power." Elaine wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders.

"It was nae enough. Against those demons, those _things_... I couldna even..." He buried his face in his hands. "I couldna stop them. I was tae weak. An' because o' that, Captain is..."

"Ban..."

King had never seen Ban like this before. He was... _scared_. It didn't suit him, and King didn't like it one bit. If even Ban had given up, what chance did the rest of them have? The Fox Sin was the one person King could always count on to go barreling into any situation with unshakeable confidence.

"You went back." King managed to find his voice, floating over to him. "You did what none of the rest of us could. You walked right into the middle of them by yourself, even though you could have actually died for real. You could have lost everything." He grit his teeth. "If only I'd been stronger. If I hadn't been afraid. You wouldn't have had to go alone. What happened to the Captain, it was because I...we were all too weak."

"I wouldna need yer help if I-"

"Damn it, Ban, you're an idiot." Jericho spoke up suddenly, cutting him off. King jumped, he'd actually forgotten she was there. "Stop acting as if you're the only one who can carry a burden. I haven't known you very long, I know. But from what I've seen, you're always willing to help other people out, but you'll never expect any help in return. You'll never ask. Because you don't think you deserve it, isn't that right?" Her brown eyes blazed.

Ban opened his mouth to respond, but King cut in.

"She's right and you know it." His voice grew stronger. "You think you're the only one with sins in your past? We all have them. That's why we were all brought together in the first place, right? What makes you so damn special?" Ban blinked at him, his mouth snapping shut. King clenched his fists. "I was worried about you. So was Elaine. And Hawk. And Escanor, and Jericho and Elizabeth. We all were. I thought you were actually gone. If you managed to go and get yourself actually killed by someone like that, I would never have forgiven you."

"Jerk. Your friends were afraid for you, you realize that?." Jericho stabbed a finger at him accusingly. "They _cared_ about you. So get it through your thick skull. You've. Got. Friends." She crossed her arms, glaring. "I'm one of them now. So are these fairies. In fact, I think you've got a lot more friends than you realize."

" _These fairies_?" King stared at her indignantly.

"See, Ban? You really do have people who worry about you!" Elaine nuzzled him. "Whatever happens now, we're all in it together. You and me, Harlequin, Jericho, Princess Elizabeth, Escanor. We'll all fight. We'll all share your burden. You're not alone."

"But I-"

" _Shut it_." Jericho shook a fist under his nose.  
Ban looked from Jericho to King to Elaine, eyes wide, and sighed. "I'm nae winnin' this one, am I ?"

"Nope, dumbass." Jericho huffed.

"Just admit defeat gracefully," King added.

"Silly boy." Elaine smiled. "Now will you rest?"

Scowling, Ban tried to wave them all away. "I'm braw. Just need a drink or twa." He turned to King. "Anyway, what about ye, King? Before aathing went tae hell, I remember ye got tae fight alongside Diaaaane~." He grinned, his normal easygoing manner returning. "Just wha' did I miss while Jericho and I were out adventurin'? Ye didna say much about it when we were travelin' with Escanor . "

"Don't change the subject! I don't know if we're done chastising you yet."

"C'moooon, that was a pretty brave thing ye did back there. Both o' ye." His grin widened, a mischievous glint appearing in his eyes. "Looked like the twa o' ye got pretty cloooose."

King let out an inarticulate squeak. "Ah, well, that...No! It was just.." he stuttered. He could see Elaine trying to hide a giggle, and he felt his face getting warm again. Even with all that had happened, the fact remained that he'd spent half of his battle stuffed in... in..."She was really good, right?" he blurted, trying not to think about it. "You saw how strong she was? It's amazing. I think we...we made a good team. Don't you?" Crap, he was rambling. The three of them were grinning at him like idiots. He toyed with the pulls of his hoodie, avoiding their amused looks. "I'm glad I got to fight alongside her. And that she's okay. I'm sure..." His voice trailed off. "I'm sure she'll remember...me soon..." The high that their little argument had given him began to fade. That part of his nightmare was still real. Diane's memory was still gone.

"...Remember ye?" Ban's crimson eyes fixed on him, narrowing in thought. "What dae ye mean by that? I told ye-"

"It's nothing, really," King said quickly. That's right, Ban didn't know. Neither did Elaine or Jericho. He hadn't brought it up when he'd met them at Escanor's tavern that day, and they hadn't exactly had much time to talk since then. It wasn't as if they could do anything about it even if they knew. He clenched his fist, brows creased in anger.

"Harlequin, what happened?" Elaine gazed at him, golden eyes wide.

"She just lost her memory for a bit, that's all. It'll be ok, you know..." King avoided their stares. "We were all going to help her, Captain and everyone, but then, well," he glanced at his sister. "You came back, and the Commandments, and..."

Ban's gaze was burning into him. "Did she really lose her memory? Or did a certain member o' our group screw with it?"

"We'll take care of it! Once the Captain wakes up..." The words caught in his throat. The Captain would wake up. He couldn't just leave them all to face those creatures...  
"When the Captain wakes up, he's gaen tae have his hands full with the Commandments . " Ban's voice was strangely cool.

"And anyway, I confronted Gowther." King met Ban's gaze. "In fact, I hit him. Well, I had Guardian Chastiefol hit him, but I did it. You should have seen it!"

"But her memory's still gone."

"It's coming back. I think." King attempted to untie the knot he'd accidentally made with the hoodie pulls.

Ban rose calmly. He stretched, reaching up to his full height in a fluid, feline motion. Muscle and sinew rippled, all traces of earlier damage healed. Then, without a backward glance, he prowled meaningfully toward the door. Elaine hurried after, followed by Jericho and King.

"Ban, wait. You still need to rest. Even if your body looks healed, you're still weak." Elaine caught up to him.

"Dinna worry, I'm just stretchin' my legs . " Ban smiled innocently, but his swift pace didn't slow.

King and the others had to move quickly to match the tall Sin's ground-eating stride. It didn't take them long to reach the courtyard, where several of the others were gathered. King didn't see Diane anywhere, but last he'd checked she'd been assisting with some heavy lifting on the opposite side of the castle. Escanor stood looking over some plans with Howzer and Gilthunder. It was well past noon, and the Lion Sin had returned to the form of an average human. Arthur sat resting in the shade, and next to him floated Merlin's projection. Gowther sat a little distance away, his face buried in a book. Everyone but the Goat Sin looked up as Ban strode in.

"Ah, Ban, you're awake!" Escanor smiled. "Good to see you up and well!"

Ban spared him a nod but didn't break stride, heading straight for Gowther. Before anyone could move, he grabbed the pink-haired Sin by the collar, lifting him easily to eye level.

"Hello Ban. Is there a problem?" Gowther tilted his head curiously, unfazed by the sudden intrusion.

"Ye know damn well there's a problem, ye goat bastard."

"I say, Ban, this is no time to be fighting!" Escanor looked worried. "I do believe he's learned his lesson."

"Ban, we've already gone over this. If it's Diane you're worried about, she will regain her memories by and by." Merlin's apparition glanced calmly at him. King was about to protest as well, but he realized that he didn't really feel like stopping Ban at the moment. "She'll be fine, just like Guila was." Merlin continued. "Do not worry."  
"Wait, what about Giula?" Jericho looked back and forth between Ban, King, Gowther, and Merlin. King could only shrug.

"It is as she says." Gowther was still irritatingly calm. "I cannot undo this, she must recover them on her own."  
"Ah, I see. Sae we jus' have tae wait, huh?" Ban's eyes narrowed.

"Yes. Will you put me down now?"

Much to King's surprise, Ban obliged. He set the smaller man down, thought none too carefully, before turning away with a wide yawn. "Ach, I dinna have the energy for this, anyway."

King felt a sudden, strange sensation. It was as if someone invisible was pulling at him. One by one, those with physical bodies looked up, their startled expressions showing they had felt the same thing. King stared at Ban. The Sin of Greed stood there serenely, the corners of his mouth turned up in a mischievous smirk, the sharp tips of his fangs just visible. It took King a moment to realize he was feeling the effects of Ban's Snatch ability, and the glint in the other man's eyes told him that was exactly what Ban wanted. The thief was making sure they all were aware of what he was doing.

Ban winked at him, then spun suddenly on his heel, driving his fist as hard as he could into Gowther's face. With the energy that he'd just stolen, the force was enough to send the other Sin straight through the castle's far wall.

"Huh. Guess I did hae the energy after all . " Ban shook his hand out as if it stung.

Merlin sighed. "That was completely uncalled for."

"Ah, but it made me feel better." Ban scooped Elaine out of the air and nuzzled her. "Now if ye'll excuse me, I'm gonna gae take a nap before this lot scolds me again . "

I seem to keep writing from King's POV. This is saved on my computer as Goatgetspunched. Don't get me wrong, I still like Gowther a lot. He's interesting, and I need to know more about him before I pass judgement. But damn it, he still needs to get punched again. I'm glad King had the guts to do it, but I can't imagine that Ban wouldn't want to get a hit in too. I really hope that the manga gives us his reaction to learning about Diane. Also, I hope that someone does have a long talk with the hardheaded Fox Sin about the fact that he seems to think he has no friends besides Mel.  
Feedback is appreciated!


End file.
